THE iDOLM@STER: Live for You!
From Project-iM@S
THE iDOLM@STER: Live For You! (アイドルマスター ライブフォーユー AIDORUMASUTAA RAIBU FOO YUU) is an Xbox 360 game only released in Japan by Namco on February 28, 2008. The game is a spinoff to THE iDOLM@STER (Xbox 360)), which followed the career of a producer who works for the fictional 765 Production studio and had to work with a selection of ten prospective pop Japanese idols. In this game, due to the temporary absence of their normal producer, you, one of their fans, is given the role of "Special Producer" and is charged with coordinating the idols' concert.
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History
After the success of the Xbox 360 version of the game, Namco revealed the production of Live for You! in October 2007. The game focuses more on the concert event section from the original, with higher customization of the stage, costumes and songs.
The game was sold in two versions, a Limited and a Regular Edition. The limited edition includes a custom slipcase and a special DVD containing an OVA and previews of remixed versions of the songs, available on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Pre-reservations contained a download card that would allow users to download a new song, 'Shiny Smile' (3/27 release) for use in the game. A set of prepaid Microsoft Points cards featuring the iDOLM@STER characters have also been released to accompany the game. Two different versions were offered in 3,500 point denominations.
Multiple downloadable content updates have been released, including new songs from the THE IDOLM@STER MASTER ARTIST series. The updates include new costumes, costume pieces, song remixes, themes, gamer pictures, and short videos. Each content piece ranges from 200 to 1000 Microsoft Points.
Gameplay
The game focuses mainly on the concert coordination aspect of the original and expands on it in many ways. Rather than playing as a producer, the player is a fan representative of the idol(s) in the performance. Kotori Otonashi again serves as the player's assistant. Before each performance, the player is able to customize the song, stage, costumes and performance. During the concert, the player is engaged in a rhythm mini-game using 6 different buttons to build up a voltage meter indicating the excitement of the fans during the concert. A higher meter corresponds to a better ranking and higher score during the post-concert evaluation.
Reception
The game was received well, with initial Famitsu scores placing it higher than its predecessor. The game sold 40,000 copies of the limited edition and 2,000 copies of the normal edition on the first day, exceeding the first week sales of the original.
